Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

thus; the fcriptures did plainly predict that the Gentiles were to be justifyed by faith: therefore many, in Abraham's time, were deemed real Chriftians; or therefore Chriftianity is nothing but Judaifm explained, and fet in a due light; i. e. myftical Judaifm. Can fuch a secret spiritual meaning, and account of fo plain a paffage, have any other than divine difcernment? p. 93. Or could any one, but a person of our author's great intelligence, have imagined this to have been St. Paul's intention? Happy man, whofe imagination is fruitful with fuch conjectures, and who employs his pen in giving us fuch new, yet faithful comments on our fcriptures! But in the fame divine ftrain, he farther argues. It is to be obferved, saitli he, p. 15. that our Saviour, who affures us that he came to fulfil the law and the prophets, and not to destroy the religion of the Jews, left nothing in writing to establish his new law, if it may be fo called, which was not properly a new law, but Judaism explained, and fet in a due light. Let us attend now to our author's admirable manner of drawing confequences. Chrift de

clares

clares that he came to fulfil the law and the prophets, i. e. to answer all the predictions relating to the Meffiah; therefore he came not to fet afide the Jewish facrifices, to alter or deftroy the Jewish religion: Or thus, Chrift declared, he came to fulfil the law and the prophets i. e. to bring in that new dispensation spoken of in the law and the prophets; therefore he hath not established a new law: Or thus, Chrift came to fulfil the prophecies of the Old Teftament; therefore the religion of Christ, is Judaifm explained, and set in a due light. How natural de these consequences, from their premises, appear at first view? And how great an opinion must we form of fo exact and critical a reasoner!

The truth is, that Christianity and Ju daifm are fo far from being the fame, that they differ in every thing, in which true religions can be fuppofed to differ: the latter being appointed for a particular season, and end, and confined to one pcople only; defigned as an introduction to, and prophecying of a future better state ; abounding with ceremonies, and rites

of

of no intrinfick worth, and fupported by promifes, and threatnings, moftly, if not altogether temporal : whereas Christianity is that more excellent state prophecied of in the other, defigned for perpetual use, and to be of univerfal obligation; as it recommends the worship of God in spirit and in truth only, and is fupported by the nobleft motives, viz. arguments drawn from the interceffion of an all-powerful Mediator, and the rewards and punishments of an eternal state.

CHAP

CHAP. IV.

Of the New Teftament Canon.

A

S our author hath been very unhappy, in his attempt to prove Christianity and Judaism to be the fame; so I hope it may be made appear, 'tis with as little reafon that he afferts farther, p. 13, 14. that the Old Teftament is the fole true canon of fcrip. ture to Chriftians (meaning thereby a canon eftablished by thofe, who had a divine authority to establish a canon, and in virtue thereof did establish a canon) as it was in the beginning of christianity. Of which paffage, I think this is the plain meaning, viz. that because the New Testament writers

had

4

had no power to establish a canon and did not actually, in virtue of that power, establish any canon; therefore, if the canon of the Old Teftament is a canon thus established, 'tis the sole canon now to Christians. I muft obferve here, our author feems to have as mean an opinion of the Jewish, as the Chriftian canon and readily confeffes, p. 135. &c. that the books of the Old Teftament are greatly corrupted, i. e. changed from what they were, when they proceeded from the authors of them; that as to the Pentateuch particularly, it must have been, above all the other books, liable to great alterations, because there was but one copy of it left for a confiderable while ; and that as to all the others, they were liable to great corruptions during the captivity; that they were confiderably altered by Efdras, or fome body elfe, he knows not who, after the captivity. It seems from hence, that he would feign have us, good man, believe, that neither Jews nor Chriftians have any proper canon at all. I confefs, I have other thoughts.

3

and

« AnteriorContinuar »